Fried Potatoes with Apples & Onions

Growing up in West Berkeley, I went to the former 9th grade only high school West Campus for a semester. I could walk to school in maybe 10 minutes. I think I got an hour for lunch, and my mom, wanting me to stay in school, would go to great lengths to encourage and cajole me to that end.

I regret to say that I dropped out of high school, but that was many years ago, and I’m blessed to have had a good work life, largely due to the knowledge and wisdom of my family, and no doubt a bit of protracted and impactful osmosis as well.

In any case, my mom told me that she’d make me lunch if I wanted to come home now and then, and being a “foodie”, I wasn’t going to turn down that offer. The dish I remember her making was fried potatoes with apples and onions.

She’d put what I assume was olive oil & butter in what was definitely a cast iron pan, added raw or cooked potato slices, green apple slices, and onions, sautéeing the ingredients over medium-high heat, and doubtless adding some unknown herbs. The result was crisply-patinated, delicious warm veggies & fruit with buttery-tender insides.

It was a treat to have a walk, a home-cooked meal, and another walk back to school. Kind of a sabbath or midday break like the Europeans have in their workdays. As much as I hated school, I could return there feeling somewhat peaceful… kind of like I’ve felt reading the Psalms, in good relationship times, and on a quiet summer’s day.

Several years later I got my GED and shortly after that, went back to school. University agreed with me greatly, and as an older if still immature man, I did well academically for the first time. So is this blog about potatoes, or life…? Maybe it’s just thoughts brought about by a plate of good food.

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